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Sometimes the step may be a long one, a leap even, however, life is still taken "One step at a time!"
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Wednesday, March 14, 2007
"The Kings Tears"
5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 NAS
We as Americans are really quite private in our show of emotions. If someone breaks down and cries we are quite often in a real dilemma as how we should act. Not so in other countries. Years ago I took a course in Ethno-musicology (study of music in different cultures) and one of the tapes we listened to was of middle eastern women that were hired to wail at funerals. These women were paid to "loose it" during the funeral possession. They wept, they sobbed, they cried in an incredible heart rending voice that even on a tape thousands of miles from where they were made had the ability to effect the human heart. You wanted to turn it off. First for the sheer embarrassment of someone letting on with such emotion. Secondly the sound carried the sheer emotion of "one who mourns. " It broke me down with its sheer intensity. I felt the despair and pain of death and loss of someone half a world away.
I do not suggest that we start such a practice, it is not in most of our cultural makeup. I do know that we feel grief and mourning just as deeply as these wailing women. I wish sometimes that we could just hire someone to give a good wail for us when we cannot. Dealing with grief is one of the most difficult things we ever have to do. While there may be common threads to all grief, each of us handles it uniquely. Grief is normal, as is all strong emotion, we just seem to have a hard time with the strong emotions of life. However, there is a quiet humble glory to our silent tears. While we do not show it (much) on the outside, we can take comfort that Jesus is listening to our wailing insides.
The preacher in Ecclesiastes (3:4) writes that there is a time for everything and that there is a time to mourn and he pairs that with a time to dance. Jesus pairs mourning with comfort. For some it is a good cry, for others it throwing ones self into some work or task, others write heart stirring music or write stories that take us deep into the strong passions of life. We sometimes wish the pain would simple go off and hide itself in the dark. However, real comfort usually comes only after the storm of emotions has broken over us and we have sobbed or written or moved a mountain and we find peace. It is good the to have a friend to anchor us and keep us afloat. Deep abiding peace comes strongest to those who can feel the deepest emotions and have ridden out the storm and find themselves in the deep calm of Jesus' nail pierced arms.
Jesus explains that to mourn for another is one of the deepest and purest feelings one can experience. This feeling of compassion for the suffering of another being is a Godly thing. God says that they who mourn will feel comfort and be called blessed. I have experienced this in my life. More importantly Jesus lived this compassion, only he felt it for every man, woman and child that has ever lived and suffered. His mourning was greater than all!
"Jesus, comfort me as I live this life. As I see the poverty of spirit and of body all around me grant me the compassion to mourn for them and with a groaning louder then words raise them up that they may find comfort and peace in the world. Thank you, Jesus for mourning for me in my situation and sacrificing your own body on the cross for me. Today I mourn, tomorrow I dance, and as the season turns things will change again and I will glorify You. May you find me pleasing to you in my service. Amen"
Copyright © 2007
Things to Ponder
1) Have you ever been around someone who was suffering?
2) Why do you think it is hard? Embarrassment? Not knowing what to do? Afraid you may join them? Afraid you may make it worse? Not fully understanding what they are going through? Something else?
3) Would you rather be alone or with someone when you are mourning? Do you know people that are like you? How about different?
4) Have you ever been the comforter to someone? How does it make you feel? What did you do to comfort them? Can you remember what worked and what did not?
5) What might it mean to have at time for everything? Do you think you can force the time for things to happen or do you think circumstances decide when change comes? Or is it a combination of choice and circumstance?
6) Does it seem to you that some people seem to manage to use their grief to do something?
7) Is it better to "just get over it" or to work it through?
8) Do you have loving heart? Do you feel for others? Is this what God is talking about in this passage?
9) What kind of comfort do you ask God for? Who do you ask comfort for?
Copyright © 2007
Email Pastor Leslie